Telecom
MTN Nigeria, Dell Technologies Unveil Nigeria’s Largest Prefabricated Modular Data Centre
MTN Nigeria, leading Nigerian tech company, in a landmark collaboration with Dell Technologies, today announced the official launch of the Dabengwa Data Centre, a state-of-the-art facility poised to revolutionise enterprise IT infrastructure across West Africa with its comprehensive cloud services offering.
This strategic partnership delivers computing power, secure storage, and seamless cloud integration, empowering businesses to enhance operational efficiency, maintain regulatory compliance, and accelerate digital transformation within a trusted, locally hosted environment.
This initiative underscores MTN’s ambition to evolve beyond a traditional telecommunications provider into a leading tech, a trusted technology partner dedicated to delivering innovative digital solutions. The Dabengwa Data Centre is a testament to MTN’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s digital economy and providing scalable data solutions for businesses of all sizes, enabling them to compete effectively on the global stage.
The Dabengwa Data Centre stands as West Africa’s largest prefabricated modular data centre in Nigeria, using 96 prefabricated containers for Phase-1, setting a new benchmark for technological advancement and infrastructure scale in the region. Designed with the future in mind, the data centre incorporates AI-driven energy optimisation and robust hybrid cloud capabilities, ensuring unparalleled performance and flexibility for its clients.
Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, Honourable Minister of Communications,Innovation & Digital Economy, said: “The MTN Data centreis part of the digital foundation of Nigeria’s modern economy that we seek -one that provides, and will continue to provide world class reliability, sothat we can keep our money local. We don’t have to ship it out in dollars.” Hedescribed the data centre as “excellent.”
While thanking MTN for providing the platform that willhelp accelerate Nigeria’s critical sectors, from fintech, healthcare, education platforms, and artificial intelligence, Tijani said that it is “only through this kind of infrastructure can we truly enablesovereignty, trust, but also national productivity.”
His Excellency, Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu,represented by the Secretary to the State’s Government, Barrister Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said: “Investments like this onethat we’re here to launch offer a platform for our young people to be able tothrive. Enterprise-grade infrastructure on our own soil, giving start-ups,developers, and data creators the ability to build and scale from Nigeria tothe world. With this facility, MTN is reinforcing Nigeria’s position as thedigital backbone of West Africa.” She emphasised that due to the location of the datacentre, Lagos State now had the “bragging rights.”
The Nigerian data centre market is experiencing significant growth, with projections indicating an increasefrom 136.7 MW in 2025 to 279.4 MW by 2030, representing a Compound AnnualGrowth Rate (CAGR) of 15.37%. This growth is further supported by substantial investments, with data centre operators committing over $630 million to expand capacity in Nigeria.
Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, represented by Engr. Babagaba Digima, Deputy Director, New Media and Information Security Department, said: “Today marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and technological independence. The infrastructure we celebrate here today embodies our collective vision of a digitally empowered Nigeria.”
Commending MTN for being at the forefront of digital innovation in Nigeria, Engr. Digima said that the “The Commission remains committed to creating an environment that supports innovation while ensuring the highest standards of cybersecurity, data protection, and a robust internet infrastructure and service quality.”
He added that at the commission “we will continue to work closely with operators to ensure that critical infrastructure deployment meets robust standards our digital economy deserves.”
AI-driven energy optimisation is a cornerstone of the Dabengwa Data Centre’s design. Artificial intelligence algorithms intelligently manage workloads and optimise energy sources, including the utilisation of green energy, to significantly reduce the facility’s carbon footprint. This commitment to efficiency ensures that businesses leveraging the Dabengwa Data Centre benefit from a sustainable and cost-effective infrastructure.
“Today is a significant day for Nigeria,” said Dr. Ernest Ndukwe (OFR), Chairman of MTN Nigeria. “Setting up the infrastructure of this size is not an easy task. And I want to seize the opportunity to thank those who have been working tirelessly to make it happen.”
MTN Nigeria CEO, Dr. Karl Toriola, stated: “Today is not simply the commissioning of the state-of-the-art data centre and launch of a new cloud platform, it is a lot more. It is a representation of technological advancements that focuses on the development of a state-of-the-art commissioning and data-centric architecture in line with the direction and policy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He added that the data centre, which cost about $150 million, “is a significant leap in the data landscape to meet the increasing demand of Nigerian businesses for solutions that focus on growth and innovation.”
Speaking on the data centre and MTN Cloud, which was also unveiled to help Nigerian businesses, and boost the country’s digital eco-system, Lynda Saint-Nwafor, Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Nigeria, said that the innovation has launched Nigeria into a new tech era. “A few weeks from now, we’ll launch the MTN Cloud Accelerator for Africa. This isn’t just another accelerator, but one that would empower the Nigeria tech-ecosystem for growth,” she said. The MTN Cloud Accelerator Program is tailored to support startups in the ecosystem with training and resources they needed to thrive. The MTN Cloud was built in Africa but can be accessed by local and global businesses.
The launch of the Dabengwa Data Centre aligns with Nigeria’s strategic push for digital sovereignty and regulatory compliance. The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has finalised a data classification framework that encourages cloud service providers to establish local operations in Nigeria, mandating that certain categories of sensitive data, including health, financial, and government data, must be hosted within Nigeria.
By providing a world-class, locally hosted environment, the Dabengwa Data Centre enables international cloud service providers to meet these critical regulatory requirements, fostering greater trust and security in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem. This move is a significant step towards enhancing national security and attracting further investment in the country’s digital infrastructure.
MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has joined other professionals across media, technology, and business gathered in Lagos for the Swish Fusion Tech and Media Summit.
Themed ‘Africa: Big Wins & New Breaks’, the summit drew thousands of attendees and featured more than 40 speakers exploring the intersection of innovation, regulation, and economic growth across the continent.
Among the sessions, MTN Nigeria presented a detailed look at the company’s ongoing 5G deployment efforts and its role in shaping enterprise infrastructure.
Njideka Jack, senior manager for Partnerships in MTN’s Enterprise Business Division, shared details of the investments, reiterating the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality 5G-powered services.
The company’s 5G rollout timeline began in 2022 with license acquisition from the Nigerian Communications Commission. In 2023, MTN moved into pilot testing and infrastructure investment.
By 2024, coverage had expanded to key cities and business hubs.
The company now plans to extend access to more underserved areas throughout 2025 while deepening collaboration with OEMs and regulators.
Beyond the rollout itself, Jack also spoke on the potential of private 5G networks for Nigerian enterprises.
With the ability to offer secure, high-speed, low-latency connectivity, these networks are increasingly being adopted in manufacturing, healthcare, education, and logistics sectors.
The summit’s broader agenda reflected a similar sense of urgency around Africa’s digital future.
Panels and breakout sessions tackled topics ranging from mobile-first product design and regulatory frameworks to the rise of AI in content creation and the realities of funding early-stage tech ventures on the continent.
Speakers from companies like Jumia, Stears and local startups provided perspectives on both the barriers and breakthroughs in building scalable African solutions.
The sessions also sparked conversations about how African businesses are adapting to consumer behaviour shifts and infrastructure limitations.
Pan African Towers (PAT), a Nigerian infrastructure provider serving 9mobile and Spectranet, has appointed Echezona Osi as chief executive officer.
Echezona Osi
Adefolarin Ogunsanya, company’s, board chairman, explained in a statement that Osi would succeed Oladipo Badru, whose tenure lasted nine months in acting CEO position. Osi has more than 28 years of experience in the telecommunications sector across various regions of Africa.
Prior to his appointment as CEO, he had served as the head of network deployment at Airtel Nigeria, operations director and chief technical information officer at MIC Tanzania, chief technology officer roles at IPT PowerTech Nigeria, Rhino Niger Networks and Biswal Nigeria.
He obtained a degree in electrical/ electronic engineering from the University of Benin and a postgraduate diploma in data science and business analytics from the University of Texas.
Companies sending bulk international text messages, also known as Application-to-Person (A2P) messages, will now have apply for a licence that costs N10 million.
This is part of new rules introduced by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) aimed at cleaning up the system, fighting fraud, blocking spam messages and stopping money from leaving the country unchecked.
These A2P messages are the kind customers get from banks, online stores, hospitals and political campaigns, automated texts sent from apps to their phones.
According to the commission, the bulk international text message system has been poorly regulated, allowing misuse and invasion of privacy.
“The International SMS Service Ecosystem in Nigeria has not been fully brought under regulatory control. It has been observed that the excessive use of the Short Message Service has led to fraud, spam and illegal activities,” the NCC said.
The regulator warned that without action, the problem would worsen as more people use mobile phones and digital services.
To solve this, the NCC is creating a central platform, or gateway, through which all international bulk text messages must pass through.
The agency said this would help to monitor messages in real time, ensure proper fees are paid, and make sure the money stays in Nigeria where it can contribute to the economy.
As part of the incoming change, service providers must follow strict rules, including strong data protection, spam filters, and message encryption.
Also, they must also work with local mobile networks and make sure all messages come from a verified sender
The NCC warned that any message without a proper sender ID will be blocked and not delivered to users.
To protect users from unwanted texts, the new rules say companies must get clear permission before sending any promotional content.
The rule also says people must also be able to choose whether they want to receive such messages or not.
Companies are now required to keep records of all messages for at least six months and must clearly state all charges involved.
The NCC said fees for help requests, cancellations, or service info must be transparent and not include hidden charges.
The commission will issue licences to several providers to encourage healthy competition but may limit new licences if needed.
Only companies that show they can stop fraud and safely deliver messages will be allowed to operate. They must also regularly report their message traffic and finances to the NCC.
It warned that any company that breaks the rules risks getting fined, suspended, or having its licence revoked.
Offences like charging illegal tariffs, ignoring security rules, or avoiding taxes will be punished, the NCC said.
The commission added that the new rules follow the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023 and support the federal government’s goal of strengthening cybersecurity and controlling Nigeria’s digital space.
The framework will also be reviewed from time to time to keep up with new technology and market trends.
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